So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's weekly wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Cool It If You Can, the most recent recording from Miss Jubilee and the Yas-Yas Boys, was reviewed by Michael Steinman for his Jazz Lives blog.

* Drummer Marcus Baylor was interviewed on local CBS affiliate KMOV for a story about his group The Baylor Project being nominated again this year for a Grammy.

* Euclid Records owner Joe Schwab appeared this past Sunday on NBC's Sunday Today program, being interviewed for a story about why vinyl record sales have boomed over the past year.

* Drummer Emanuel Harrold (pictured) is now an endorser for percussion accessories maker DrumDial, and has recorded a new promotional video for the company.

* One of St. Louis' most famous expatriates of the 20th century plays a major role in a new LitHub essay from writer Harmony Holiday, "A Dinner in France, 1973: Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, and a Very Young Henry Louis Gates, Jr."

* Bassist Darin Gray has a new recording, The Reduction (music for dance), set for release on April 2 in digital formats and as a limited-edition vinyl LP.

* Also with a new release this month is keyboardist and vocalist Jesse Gannon, whose recording Live at the Dark Room is out now as a digital-only album on Bandcamp.

* Trumpeter Josiah Burton, a former member of Jazz St. Louis' All-Stars student ensemble, was the subject of a feature story in the Greenville University campus paper The Papyrus.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) was the featured guest on the most recent episode of brass manufacturer Stomvi USA's "Schools of Thought" webcast.

* Syncopated Times this week published a review of Cool It If You Can, the most recent album from Miss Jubilee, as well of reviews of The Low Down Piano, the latest from the band's keyboardist Ethan Leinwand, and the debut release from the St. Louis Steady Grinders, a duo project featuring Leinwand and the band's vocalist, Valerie Kirchoff.

* The online magazine Glide this week previewed “Brave New World,” a track from drummer Rob Silverman's upcoming album Drumology. The album features Silverman collaborating with fellow drummers Simon Phillips, Gregg Bissonette, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, John Blackwell and Casey Adams, and will be released in October on Autumn Hill Records, the label operated by Silverman and his brother, keyboardist Michael Silverman.

* BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups downtown is reopening on a limited basis with live music, and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson wrote an article about how they're handling things under pandemic conditions. (Note: story is paywalled)

* Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has been filling his YouTube channel with a series of duets with keyboardists Greg Mills and Jim Hegarty, a number of them recorded post-lockdown using social distancing. You can see his "best of" playlist here.

* Miles Davis' nephew, drummer and producer Vince Wilburn Jr. was interviewed on a recent episode of Jazziz magazine's "Last Call" podcast.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Drummer Dave Weckl has added a full-length video of his band's reunion performance at last year's Chesterfield Jazz Festival to the offerings at his online school. He's also posted to YouTube some short sample excerpts from the show, including "Synergy," "Tower of Inspiration" and "Mud Sauce."

* The Red and Black Brass Band's recent visit to the Old North neighborhood was documented by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday in a collection of photos and a video.

* Pianist and St. Louis native Tom McDermott (pictured) is featured on actor Harry Shearer's new "Piano New Orleans" YouTube channel, performing in three mini-recitals (so far) which you can see here, here and here.

* HEC-TV has posted online A Celebration of the Life & Music of Ray Kennedy, a tribute to the late St. Louis pianist featuring Kennedy's former employer, guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, along with pianist Konrad Paszkudski, bassist Martin Pizzarelli, and John and Martin's dad, the late guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

* Guitarist Vincent Varvel recorded a solo version of "Here Comes the Sun" for a series of "Musical Postcards" from music faculty members at Washington University.

* Miss Jubilee and the Yas-Yas Boys have a new album, Cool It If You Can, recorded in January as live-in-the-studio performances at Bigtone Records in Bristol, VA. It's now available in digital form via their Bandcamp page, with a physical release to follow at a date TBD.

* The DVD of the documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Doug Collette.

Jazz this week: Good 4 The Soul, Grand Marquis, New Year's Eve jazz, and more

Here's what's happening in live jazz and creative music in St. Louis for the last week of 2019:

Thursday, December 26
Jazz St. Louis will host a Jam Session & Open House for alumni of their JazzU program.

Also on Thursday, singer Amanda Raye and guitarist Dave Black perform at Evangeline's; Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Schlafly Bottleworks; and trumpeter Brady Lewis and BLStet return to The Dark Room.

Friday, December 27
Jazz/ funk quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured, top left) performs for the first of two nights of their annual year-end gig at Jazz St. Louis; multi-instrumentalist T.J. Muller and friends offer a "Tribute to the Kings of Western Swing" at the Focal Point; and the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, December 28
Singer and St. Louis native Katie McGrath is back from NYC to present her cabaret show "Home(sick) for the Holidays" at Blue Strawberry.

Also on Saturday, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True return to the Parkside Grille; saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays at Troy's Listening Room; and The Gaslight Squares will perform at the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, 
December 29
Guitarist Farshid Soltanshahi leads the Mosaic Musical Trio in a concert at Focal Point, and Kansas City-based jump blues band Grand Marquis (pictured, center left) returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.


Monday, December 30
The Folk School of KDHX hosts their final Traditional Jazz Jam Session of the year, and BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups has a double bill with guitarist Adam Hansbrough's trio early and The Usual Suspects late.

Tuesday, 
December 31
If you're interested in hearing some jazz this New Year's Eve, bassist and singer Janet Evra will play early evening at The Dark Room, while the Funky Butt Brass Band will be ringing in the new year at the Broadway Oyster Bar, and the Chase Park Plaza's "New Year’s Eve Ball" features multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured, bottom left) and the L plus a Frank Sinatra tribute and DJ.

For fans of jazz fusion, pianist Ptah Williams' trio Tracer plus guitarist Eric Slaughter will be playing at Troy's Listening Room, and The WirePilots will be joined by singer Kim Fuller for a concert at the Gaslight Theater

For vintage jazz, there's Miss Jubilee at Sasha's on Shaw, or The Gaslight Squares plus multi-instrumentalist Marty Eggers and friends at Yaquis on Cherokee.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* A newly restored version of Say Amen Somebody, the award-winning 1982 documentary about gospel music that features St. Louisans including Willie Mae Ford Smith, Zella Jackson Price, and the O'Neal Twins, is being re-released in theaters this fall. The film will play locally from Friday, September 13 through Thursday, September 19 at the Chase Park Plaza Cinemas.

* A performance by Miss Jubilee earned a favorable mention in The Syncopated Times' review of the 2019 Bix Biederbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport, IA.

* St. Louis saxophonist Kwanae Johnson and his family recently lost their home to a fire, and friends are stepping up to help. A concert to raise funds for the Johnsons, with details still TBA, will be presented from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 29 at .ZACK. For those who can't attend that day or prefer to give directly, there's a donation page on Facebook.

* Also in need of a hand right now is guitarist Dave Black (pictured), a mainstay of the St. Louis music scene for more than 30 years. Black last week was involved in a serious cycling accident, suffering injuries that will keep him from performing or teaching for several months.

A benefit concert is in the works, but in the meantime, friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help Black with medical and living expenses during his recovery. Black's situation also was the subject of a story by KMOX radio's Maria Keena.

* As reported by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy D. Goodwin, a new $30 million development will bring single family homes (and some new apartments) to the Grand Center arts district.

* Jazz St. Louis has announced the selections for this year's edition of their book club, which once again will be led by Washington University professor Gerald Early. You can see the complete list of books and meeting dates here.

* The second annual St. Louis Drum Show will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19 at the Koken Art Factory.

* Neuka Bowie Mitchell, an executive with Bayer and the daughter of trumpeter Lester Bowie and singer Fontella Bass, has been named to the board of directors of the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

* Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, the new documentary about the famed trumpeter, was the subject of a feature story in DownBeat. The film also was reviewed by Glenn Kenny for the New York Times  and by the Los Angeles Times' Glenn Whipp.

* The music made by Davis in 1959, including Kind of Blue and the Gil Evans-arranged Porgy and Bess, will be revisited at a tribute concert by Richard Pite’s Jazz Repertory Company on Saturday, September 21 at Cadogan Hall in London.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness (pictured) will present a special live-streaming version of their Open Studio podcast "You'll Hear It" next Friday, August 9.

* Thurman's In Shaw was reviewed by Sauce magazine, with a mention of the venue's live jazz offerings alongside the critique of its food and drinks.

* A previously unseen interview from the mid-1980s with drummer and St. Louis native Phillip Wilson has been published in the latest issue of the online 'zine Perfect Sound Forever.

* Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo took time out from her just-concluded European tour to stop in Jazztone Studios in Valencia, Spain to record a music video of the song "Que Lio," originally made famous by Puerto Rican salsa singer Hector Lavoe.

* Singer Valerie Kirchhoff aka Miss Jubilee was one of the musicians interviewed for a Quad City Times article about this weekend's Bix Jazz Festival in Davenport, IA.

* A post on the UMSL Daily blog recounts the UMSL Jazz Ensemble's recent trip to Europe, which doubled as a farewell to outgoing director of jazz studies Jim Widner.

* The Brothers Lazaroff were interviewed about their new album and shows this weekend at Jazz St. Louis by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson. (Link is paywalled)

* There's a new trailer out this week for director Stanley Nelson's documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which will play starting later this month in selected theaters across the country.

* Davis also was the subject of a recent episode of MOJO magazine's "Innovators Podcast."

* Continuing on the Davis beat, the trumpeter this week was the latest musician discussed in The Guardian's recurring "20 Greatest Albums Ranked" feature.

* And finally, Jazz Journal has a review of Milestones, a new reissue of some familiar early Davis tracks by the French label Dreyfus Jazz.

Jazz this week: Tom McDermott, "Jazz in July" at Wash U, Carlos Brown Jr., and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a local expat who's become a popular practitioner of New Orleans piano styles; the start of a (brief) summer series of free music; the debut of a young saxophonist and bandleader at the city'stown's showcase club venue, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 10
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will include Miss Jubilee at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and what is being touted on social media by trumpeter Kasimu Taylor as his group's final Wednesday night appearance at The Dark Room, at least for the time being.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black are back at Scarlett's Wine Bar, now starting a recurring gig on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

Thursday, July 11
Pianist Tom McDermott (pictured, top left) will be back from New Orleans to visit his hometown and play a gig at Joe's Cafe & Art Gallery.

Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents the first of three free "Jazz in July" concerts at Holmes Lounge, this week featuring the trio of pianist Kara Merhmann, bassist Ben Wheeler and drummer Jerry Mazzuca.

Elsewhere around town, singer and impressionist Dean Christopher bring his "Rat Pack and More" show to LoRusso's Cucina on the south side, and saxophonist Kendrick Smith and his trio will perform at The Dark Room.

Friday, July 12
Saxophonist Carlos Brown Jr (pictured, bottom left) plays for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, singer Erin Bode performs at Focal Point, and trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's.

Saturday, July 13
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents their monthly jam session matinee, hosted by pianist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick at J P's Corner.

Later on Saturday, pianist Christopher Parrish plays a dinner set and keyboardist Andrew Stephen's Texturz takes the stage for the late show at The Dark Room; and singer and bassist Janet Evra performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, July 14
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel (south of Powell Hall at the corner of Grand and Samuel Shepard Dr), while pianist Adam Maness is at Thurman's in Shaw.

Then on Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Miss Jubilee in concert at the Oasis Room of the Moolah Shrine Center.

Monday, July 15
Keyboard player Ryan Benthall leads a trio at The Dark Room.

Tuesday, July 16
In what would seem to be an inevitable pairing of performers and venue, The Gaslight Squares will play a concert at the Gaslight Theater.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Jazz this week: Support your local musicians

While there are no touring jazz or creative music performers visiting St. Louis in the next few days, you still can hear plenty of hometown musicians playing in a variety of styles at various spots around town. Here are a few suggestions...

Wednesday, January 9
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" includes bassist Glen Smith and friends at The Stage at KDHX, along with the weekly jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor (pictured, top left) and band at The Dark Room.

Also playing their regular Wednesday night gigs are Miss Jubilee at the Schlafly Bottleworks; guitarist Joe Park's trio at Yaquis on Cherokee, and trumpeter Jim Manley at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, January 10
Guitarist Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman perform at The Pat Connolly Tavern; pianist Eddie Randle Jr leads a trio at The Dark Room; and singer Joe Mancuso will be doing his weekly gig at 50/Fifty Kitchen.

Friday, January 11
Pianist Ptah Williams plays solo for happy hour at The Dark Room, followed by singer Anita Jackson performing for the late show.

Also on Friday, Falling Fences (pictured, bottom left) plays for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis. Known locally both for two well-received albums of original Americana material and for a Sunday night residency at McGurk's playing mostly Irish music, they'll present an expanded version of their usual five-piece lineup at the Bistro, adding Funky Butt Brass Band trumpeter Adam Hucke, saxophonist Charlie Cerpa, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Niehaus IV.

Based on that configuration of the band's show last August at Delmar Hall, listeners can expect to hear those original Americana tunes, with the addition of some horn arrangements plus expanded segments for solos on some songs.

Saturday, January 12
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents a mid-day jam session hosted by keyboardist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick at J P's Corner. Then on Saturday night, keyboardist Mo Egeston plays late night at The Dark Room.

Sunday, January 13
Singer and bassist Janet Evra provides the music for brunch at The Dark Room, and the Arcadia Dance Orchestra will play vintage jazz for a matinee show at Focal Point.

Monday, January 14
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Jazz this week: Ronnie Burrage Trio, Good 4 The Soul, New Year's Eve jazz, and more

With most touring artists off the road, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day in St. Louis usually isn't overly crowded with live jazz and creative music shows.

Still, the coming week does feature some noteworthy gigs from a returning St. Louis expat and an assortment of hometown performers, plus several jazz and jazz-related options for New Year's Eve entertainment. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 26
Drummer and U City native Ronnie Burrage (pictured, top left) is visiting home for the holidays and will team with bassist Darrell Mixon and pianist Ptah Williams for three performances this week.

The first of those shows will feature a jam with various invited horn players and guitarists on Wednesday night at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, followed by performances on Thursday at the house concert venue Kinda Blue Club and Friday at The Dark Room.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Sasha's Wine Bar,

Thursday, December 27
Singer Joe Mancuso will be backed by Joe Pastor on vibes and Ben Wheeler on bass at 50/Fifty Kitchen; guitarists Carol B. Eder and Chip Katz will duet at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, 
December 28
Funk/jazz quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured, lower left) returns to Jazz St. Louis for the first of two nights of their annual year-end gig.

Also on Friday, cornet players "Wild" Bill Mason and T.J Müller lead the Mason-Müller All Star Band in an evening of traditional jazz at Focal Point.



Saturday, December 29
Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, December 30
Drummer Montez Coleman and friends play for brunch at The Dark Room, and the Folk School of KDHX hosts their monthly traditional jazz jam session.

Sunday evening, guitarists Dave Black, Farshid Soltanshahi and Aaron Burlbaw will play at the house concert venue Judson House, 3733 Washington Ave in Grand Center; and DJ Pockets presents his monthly "1950s/60s Jazz Record Spin" at The Royale.

Monday, December 31
Noteworthy New Year's Eve performances include singer Erin Bode doing two shows at Cyrano's; a "Speakeasy NYE Party" with music from Miss Jubilee and blues band Rum Drum Ramblers at Das Bevo; the Funky Butt Brass Band at the Broadway Oyster Bar; and keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon doing an early evening set at the new Angad Arts Hotel. (Also, you may want to check the STLJN calendar for any last-minute additions.)

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Jazz this week: Stefon Harris, Nevermore Jazz Ball, Quincy Troupe, Regina Carter, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features not one, but two DownBeat poll-winning musicians on their respective instruments - vibes and violin - plus the year's biggest local event for swing dancers, a spoken-word performance from a confidant of Miles Davis, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 31
Vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his band Blackout return for the first of five nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis.

Winner of this year's DownBeat Critic's Poll as "best vibraphonist," Harris (pictured, top left) is touring in support of his new album Sonic Creed, which his first release as a leader since 2009. For more about that, plus some videos of Harris performing, check out this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, November 1
The eighth annual Nevermore Jazz Ball, a weekend of swing dance events that attracts enthusiasts from all over the country, gets underway with a performance by the Arcadia Dance Orchestra at 2720 Cherokee. Though all-event passes for the weekend are sold out in advance, tickets for the individual events will be sold at the door pending availability.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Vincent Varvel, multi-instrumentalist William Lenihan, drummer Steve Davis and bassist Ric Vice will present a "Tribute to John Abercrombie" in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Elsewhere around town, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with singer Bob Gerchen's show "Joe Cocker: Never Forget" at the Gaslight Theater, and trumpeter Keith Moyer and his quartet return to The Dark Room.

Friday, November 2
The Nevermore Jazz Ball continues with Miss Jubilee performing at the Casa Loma Ballroom, followed by an after-hours event with music from Austin, TX-based clarinetist Jon Doyle's sextet at the South Broadway Athletic Club.

Also on Friday, poet, author and Miles Davis biographer Quincy Troupe (pictured, center left) will give a spoken-word performance with music from trumpeter George Sams' quartet at St. Louis University's Xavier Hall.

Elsewhere around town, singer and actress Carrie St. Louis performs for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival in the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater; and keyboardist Jay Oliver's trio and Bach To The Future will share a double-bill at 50/Fifty Kitchen.

Saturday, November 3
Nevermore Jazz Ball continues with three events on Saturday, starting at noon with the "Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl," featuring free live music from more than a dozen bands and solo acts at various locations along Cherokee St. between Jefferson Ave and Nebraska Ave.

The NJB's Saturday evening dance then will feature music from Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders at Casa Loma Ballroom, followed by an after-hours event with the Emily Asher Band at the South Broadway Athletic Club.

Also on Saturday, jazz-fusion band Dreaming In Colour plays a late-afternoon show at BB's Jazz Blues & Soups

Sunday, 
November 4
The St. Louis Record Collector & CD Show presents their fall event at the American Czech Educational Center, while the Friends of Scott Joplin's monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" takes place at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

Also on Sunday afternoon, violinist Regina Carter (pictured, bottom left), another DownBeat poll winner, headlines a benefit concert for Community Women Against Hardship at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Elsewhere around town, the Nevermore Jazz Ball wraps up for 2018 with one final performance from Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders at the Boo Cat Club.

Monday, November 5
The Student Jazz Combos from Webster University perform at Webster's Community Music School.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Veteran drummer Gary Sykes, who currently plays with pianist Ptah Williams' trio, the STL Free Jazz Collective, and others, continues to face some serious health issues, most recently making a trip this week to St. Mary's Hospital to have two stents installed.

While Sykes said in a Facebook post that he's feeling better post-surgery, the GoFundMe page to raise money to help with expenses while he's unable to work is still active. Find out more and, if you wish, donate here.

* Singer Valerie Kirchhoff and pianist Ethan Leinwand of Miss Jubilee (pictured) were guests on a recent episode of Rock Paper Podcast.

* The Dark Room has begun live-streaming video of performances on their Facebook page, and archiving the streamed videos on a new YouTube channel.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was interviewed about his musical influences by Jamie Cullum for BBC Radio Two's "Take Five."

* Get It How You Live, the new album by trumpeter Russell Gunn's Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, was reviewed by DownBeat magazine.

* Guitarist Nels Cline was interviewed about his show tonight at Delmar Hall by the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson. (Link is to Google cache.)

* Also in the Post, Tower of Power saxophonist and bandleader Emilio Castillo was interviewed by P-D freelancer Daniel Durchholz. (Link is to Google cache.) TOP performs this Saturday, August 11 at River City Casino.

* Grant Green Jr. talks about his dad, St. Louis-born guitarist Grant Green, on the latest episode of the web series The Pace Report.

* Trumpeter and philanthropist Herb Alpert was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio. While Alpert's concert with his wife, singer Lani Hall, on Sunday, August 19 at the Grandel Theatre already is sold out, some of his visual art will be on display at the Grandel from Friday, August 17 through Sunday, August 19.

An opening reception will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, August 17. The public also can view Alpert's abstract mixed-media paintings and large and small-scale bronze sculptures from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 18, and from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 19 before the concert and for 30 minutes after the show.

Jazz this week: Nels Cline 4, Tower of Power, free outdoor concerts, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis is somewhat busier than usual for late summer, with a couple of significant touring acts in town as well as a number of noteworthy shows from the hometown contingent.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 8
This week's free "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will feature bassist Guy Cantonwine and Willem von Hombracht doing duets at The Stage at KDHX; the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 9
Miss Jubilee and The Gaslight Squares will play traditional jazz and swing on a double-bill at Joe's Cafe, and Dean Christopher will bring his "Rat Pack and More" show to 50/Fifty Kitchen.

Also on Thursday, saxophonist Dave Stone's plays at Element Restaurant and Lounge, and trumpeter Keith Moyer's quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, August 10
The Nels Cline 4, featuring Cline (pictured, top left) and fellow guitarist Julian Lage, performs at Delmar Hall. Touring in support of their recent Blue Note album Currents, Constellations, they're getting good notices both for the recording and for their live shows, which feature plenty of interplay between the two star guitarists. You can see some samples of recent performances on video in this post from two Saturdays ago.

Also on Friday, drummer Montez Coleman will celebrate his birthday with the first of two nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis, and you can take in one of three free outdoor concerts, as the Funky Butt Brass Band plays for the "Ferguson CityWalk" at Plaza At 501; The Bosman Twins perform at the Dellwood Recreation Center, and Miss Jubilee will provide the music for the St. Louis Zoo's "Jungle Boogie".

Saturday, August 11
Celebrating 50 years of the "Oakland Stroke" and supporting a new album release with a summer tour, the singular funk band Tower of Power (pictured, bottom left) stops in St. Louis for a show at the River City Casino Event Center. 

You can see some previous performances from the 50th anniversary tour and more in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, keyboardist Marvin Cockrell and Focus play smooth jazz, R&B and more at the Grandel Theatre, and the Joe Bozzi Band returns to Evangeline's.

Elsewhere around town, The Wire Pilots wll play original jazz, fusion and world music at the Ozark Theatre, and percussionist Herman Semidey and his Orquestra son Montuno will make their debut at Club Diamonds.

Sunday, August 12
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Red Lehr & the St. Louis Rivermen playing traditional jazz at the  DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport.

Monday, August 13
Dizzy Atmosphere performs Gypsy jazz and swing for diners at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, August 14
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo and her band host "The Tuesday Night Hit" at The Dark Room.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Jazz this week: Melissa Aldana Quartet, Ben Wendel's "The Seasons," Galactic, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features performances from two stellar saxophonists, one of New Orleans' favorite funk bands, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
March 14
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana returns with her quartet for the first of four nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

Aldana, who was born in Chile and educated at Berklee, has enjoyed a fast rise in the jazz world since becoming the first female instrumentalist and the first South American to win the annual Thelonious Monk competition in 2013, thanks to her distinctive tone on tenor sax and a musical approach influenced by players such as Sonny Rollins, Don Byas and Mark Turner.

For more about Aldana, you can see and hear some samples of her playing on video in this post, which dates from her St. Louis debut two years ago, and read an interview with her published a few weeks ago by the Chicago Tribune here.

Aldana's sets also will be simulcast on video to the first-floor lounge opposite the Bistro, where they can be viewed for free as part of the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl,"  which this week also includes Jacob Alspach and Friends at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 15
Saxophonist Ben Wendel performs at The Ready Room. Wendel (pictured, top left), best known as a member of the cooperative band Kneebody, currently is touring with music from a project called "The Seasons," which featured 12 original compositions dedicated to musical friends and colleagues that were released as a series of duo performances on video over the course of a year.

You can find out more about Wendel and "The Seasons," and hear some of the compositions that have been expanded to full-band arrangements for the tour, in this post from a week ago Saturday.

Update: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14: StLJN has just gotten word from Ben Wendel's publicist that his St. Louis date has been cancelled. If you bought tickets, contact your point of purchase for refund details.

Also on Thursday, New Orleans funk/jazz band Galactic (pictured, bottom left) will be back for another visit to St. Louis, their destination this time being Delmar Hall; Cincinnati "garage jazz" band Animal Mother tops a bill that also includes Animal Children and saxophonist Dave Stone at Foam; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, March 16
Catch some of St. Louis' own at one of several weekly residencies happening on Fridays, including pianist Ptah Williams' trio at The Dark Room; singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran at Das Bevo Underground, or saxophonist Tim Cunningham at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Saturday, March 17
Pianist Christopher Parrish plays a matinee at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe as part of a new monthly series presented by the Friends of Scott Joplin.

Then on Saturday night, singer Tony Viviano will be doing his thing at Table Three, while keyboardist Mo Egeston offers late night grooves at The Dark Room.

Sunday, March 18
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Miss Jubilee in concert at the Moolah Shrine Temple in Maryland Heights.

Monday, March 19
Trumpeter Jim Manley will be back at Momo's Greek Restaurant, and pianist Carolbeth True and saxophonist Paul DeMarinis will perform a duo concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Pianist and St. Louis native Stephanie Trick and her husband/piano duo partner Paolo Alderighi (pictured) are headed across the Atlantic for some gigs in the UK.

* Singer Denise Thimes was interviewed about her performances next week at Dizzy's Club in NYC by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Bassist and singer Tonina Saputo was profiled by the Columbia Daily Tribune's Aarik Danielsen in advance of her show at the True/False festival in CoMo.

* Singer Valerie "Miss Jubilee" Kirchhoff and pianist Ethan Leinwand were featured in a recent post on the blog Jazz Lives.

* Singer Alicia Olatuja has posted to Facebook some photos from her gig last month at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network has released a new episode of Martin's podcast "The Process" featuring an interview with The Bad Plus.

* Pianist Adam Maness' weekly Thursday night gig at Thurman's in Shaw is the subject of a short feature story by the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer.

Terell Stafford to headline Alton Jazz & Wine Festival on Saturday, September 8

Trumpeter Terell Stafford (pictured) will headline this year's Alton Jazz & Wine Festival, which will take place starting at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, September 8 at the Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater.

The festival lineup, announced on Tuesday as one of a slate of summer and fall shows at the riverfront venue, also will include Miss Jubilee, trumpeter Jim Manley's quintet, and the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars.

General admission is free and open to the public, but in addition, the festival is selling VIP tickets for $20 each, entitling the ticket holder to VIP seating, reserved parking, and access to a VIP tent with a private concession booth.

Jazz this week: Alicia Olatuja, jazz for Valentine's Day, and more

For the second consecutive week, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features performances by a local expat making a triumphant return home after earning national acclaim.

For more about that and the other jazz shows happening around town, let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 14
Singer Alicia Olatuja (pictured) performs for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Known by her maiden name Alicia Miles while growing up in St. Louis, Olatuja has seen her career take off since she gained national attention in 2013 as a featured soloist at President Barack Obama's second inauguration.  With one solo album under her belt and another set for release later this year, she's not a household name yet, but her star definitely seems on the rise.

Olatuja was a featured guest last year during harmonica player Gregoire Maret's week at the Bistro, and she'll be back in a few weeks with drummer Ulysses Owens Jr's "Songs of Freedom" project, but this will be her debut performance as a headliner at the venue, so expect a good turnout from the hometown crowd. For more about Alicia Olatuja, plus some video samples of past live performances, see this post from last Saturday.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, singer Erin Bode will be doing two shows at Cyrano's; the Joe Bozzi Band plays at Evangeline's; and there are a number of other gigs happening specifically for Valentine's Day - see the St. Louis Jazz Notes calendar for the complete listings.

Thursday, February 15
Singer Tony Viviano will perform in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Broadway Open Mic" at the Curtain Call Lounge; and bassist/singer Tonina Saputo's quartet is back at The Dark Room.

Friday, February 16
Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, saxophonist Tim Cunningham is doing a special Valentine's-themed dinner-and-show at Troy's Jazz Gallery (advance reservations suggested), and saxophonist Kendrick Smith returns to Thurman's in Shaw.

Saturday, February 17
The Gaslight Squares will play an early afternoon show at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe as part of a new Saturday matinee concert series presented by the Friends of Scott Joplin.

At the dinner hour, check out pianist Ptah Williams playing at The Dark Room, and later in the evening, saxophonist Dave Stone trio's continues their weekly residency at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, February 18
Guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran will play for brunch at The Dark Room, while Miss Jubilee serenades the brunch crowd as Evangeline's.

Monday, February 19
Faculty members comprising the Webster University Jazz Collective will play a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Jazz this week: Keyon Harrold, a tribute to Michael Jackson, Mardi Gras, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the return of a favorite local son, a tribute to the late "King of Pop," various Mardi Gras festivities, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 7
Trumpeter Keyon Harrold returns home to perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro

Harrold (pictured, top left) currently is riding high thanks to the critical and commercial success of The Mugician, his second album as a leader, and the publicity last year surrounding the feature film Miles Ahead, which prominently featured the Ferguson native on its soundtrack.

This is his first appearance in St. Louis since the album was released back in September, so advance reservations would seem to be a must. For more on Harrold and some video samples of recent performances, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, bassist Glen Smith and guitarist Eric Slaughter are back at Evangeline's, and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will return to Taha'a Twisted Tiki.

Thursday, February 8
Kicking off the Mardi Grad parade weekend, the Funky Butt Brass Band will play for the annual "King Cake Party" at the Blues City Deli.

Also on Thursday, new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound returns for their first performance of the year at the Sheldon Concert Hall; drummer Steve Davis and his band, featuring vocalist Feyza Eren, will play a free concert for the  Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; trumpeter Keith Moyer's quintet will perform at The Dark Room; and friends, family and musical colleagues will be presenting a "Celebration of the Life & Music of Nathan Jatcko" at Off Broadway.

Friday, February 9
The People's Key (pictured, bottom left) with guest multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will reprise their "Jazz Memories of Michael Jackson" show for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, singer Erin Bode teams up with The Wire Pilots for a concert at Focal Point, and singer Anita Jackson returns to The Dark Room.

Saturday, February 10
Although the "official" Mardi Gras events on parade day once again are relying on DJs and rock cover bands, Beale on Broadway will feature blues and jazz bands including a morning set from Miss Jubilee and a late-afternoon performance from the Funky Butt Brass Band.

Also on Saturday night, guitarists Paul Davis, Joe Park and Glenn Meyers will pay "Tribute to the Masters" at Evangeline's; and percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will play salsa, Latin jazz and more at VooDoo St. Louis downtown.

Sunday, February 11
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents pianist Bob Row's "Mardi Gras Celebration" at the Ladue Elks Club.

Monday, February 12
Dizzy Atmosphere returns to The Shaved Duck, and pianist Kim Portnoy and band will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

Tuesday, February 13
The Funky Butt Brass Band will wrap up Mardi Gras for 2018 with a Fat Tuesday gig at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)